TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:24 am

Thanks. I knew the roof line was different but didn't know how off it would be.
Range Rover? I know Land Rover 109s were converted to Dorms.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:31 pm

But did you know that they STILL make these tops in the UK? :?

You can have them put one on pretty much whatever you want...

for a fee!$$$$$$$ :shock:

Good luck with the project! 8)

Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:17 am

I had heard that you could still get new parts like window but didn't know they still made the entire package.

Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:35 am

Don't know about their status right now as far as the "skylight" vent windows but when I was putting mine together a little over 2 years ago, you could get the window but they didn't have the hinges and/or the brackets to install them. :(

Not having them and no luck either in finding them anywhere, I decided to make them myself! :twisted: Not only did I do just that but manage to sell some extras even! :P

Check my gallery pix for them! :wink:

Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:21 pm

Type2meister wrote:
3) Then there is one of a guy who used to post on the vintagebus list but haven't been able to track him or his bus down (David Raistrick in Augusta, GA) anybody seen it or him?

I haven't seen him lately. ;)

Been in Orlando for years now. Still easy to find with a quick google, though.....

Here's my second owner so-44, #231, now a wee bit mashed in the rear:

More pictures:
http://www.icantclick.org/gallery2/cars/buswreck
http://www.icantclick.org/gallery2/cars/buspics/66westy/

Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:38 pm

talking about Dormies...

I'm looking for a roof, so if anybody knows of a Dormo roof here in EUROPE send me a PM...
I founded two in the USA but shipping overseas a dormo roof is like a nightmare...

I think Dormobile roofs are the best in show!

xavi

Mon Apr 30, 2007 7:20 am

xavi_242 wrote: I'm looking for a roof, so if anybody knows of a Dormo roof here in EUROPE send me a PM...
I founded two in the USA but shipping overseas a dormo roof is like a nightmare...

:shock:

They should be "dime-A-dozen" over there, being that they still make them in the UK!?! :?

Look for rotted away buses, or Landrovers even. Mine came off a '69 fatchick which had practicly a "removable" roof clip due to rust. Also, recently someone here in thesamba and in the states, replaced his Dormy top with a brand new one!!! The whiteness of it impressed me a lot! :o

Don't get too desperate and your top will show up. Good luck! 8)

Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:09 am

pyrOman wrote:
They should be "dime-A-dozen" over there, being that they still make them in the UK!?! :?

Look for rotted away buses, or Landrovers even. Mine came off a '69 fatchick which had practicly a "removable" roof clip due to rust. Also, recently someone here in thesamba and in the states, replaced his Dormy top with a brand new one!!! The whiteness of it impressed me a lot! :o

Don't get too desperate and your top will show up. Good luck! 8)

are they interchangeable? because I knew thay a dormo roof from a bay won't fit a split bus...

Brand new?? From where?

Xavi

Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:16 am

xavi_242 wrote: are they interchangeable? because I knew thay a dormo roof from a bay won't fit a split bus...

Brand new?? From where?

Xavi

Anything can be done. Again, do a search in the gallery for just plain dormobile and you'll find a ton of pix. Search for mine as well as my thread "Project D". Also search the classifieds as I belive the "new topped" Dormer is for sale. :wink:

Now, think about it. If you don't want to spend or have $$$ to do the project, you will not find anything "ready to fit" or new. :?

Good luck still! 8)

Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:21 am

xavi_242 wrote: I think Dormobile roofs are the best in show!

xavi

Indeed they are! Here we had a crowd drolling over mine all day in an all cars show just yesterday! :P

As well as some "passers by". 8-[

Thu May 17, 2007 8:50 am

Here's another one:

It's the guy who's been looking for the side seat/table assembly forever in the classifieds - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=216952 - if you look at his other ads you'll see the above picture. Kind of funny, this one has been right under our noses for quite a while now...

There was another so-44 dormobile in SLC, it was evidently a daily driver for quite a few years but has been laid to rest by the PO. I bought the complete interior off of him (sans bottles, lamp & stove) thanks to a tip from Jawol, if anyone needs it let me know. Trades for other westy items preferred. Email me.

Mon May 21, 2007 12:06 pm

dieselnut wrote: Here's another one:

It's the guy who's been looking for the side seat/table assembly forever in the classifieds - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=216952 - if you look at his other ads you'll see the above picture. Kind of funny, this one has been right under our noses for quite a while now...

There was another so-44 dormobile in SLC, it was evidently a daily driver for quite a few years but has been laid to rest by the PO. I bought the complete interior off of him (sans bottles, lamp & stove) thanks to a tip from Jawol, if anyone needs it let me know. Trades for other westy items preferred. Email me.

Hi dieselnut,
have you got more pics from this bus? Is it an original SO-44 dormie? I can not see the hanging cabinet on the picture.
Greetings from germany...
Claus

Tue May 22, 2007 7:05 am

karmann1952 wrote: dieselnut wrote: Here's another one:

It's the guy who's been looking for the side seat/table assembly forever in the classifieds - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=216952 - if you look at his other ads you'll see the above picture. Kind of funny, this one has been right under our noses for quite a while now...

There was another so-44 dormobile in SLC, it was evidently a daily driver for quite a few years but has been laid to rest by the PO. I bought the complete interior off of him (sans bottles, lamp & stove) thanks to a tip from Jawol, if anyone needs it let me know. Trades for other westy items preferred. Email me.

Hi dieselnut,
have you got more pics from this bus? Is it an original SO-44 dormie? I can not see the hanging cabinet on the picture.
Greetings from germany...
Claus

It seems to have that kickass "sink-fridge-stove-closet" combo cabinet for bench buses! :P

Tue May 22, 2007 8:02 am

pyrOman wrote: karmann1952 wrote: dieselnut wrote: Here's another one:

It's the guy who's been looking for the side seat/table assembly forever in the classifieds - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=216952 - if you look at his other ads you'll see the above picture. Kind of funny, this one has been right under our noses for quite a while now...

There was another so-44 dormobile in SLC, it was evidently a daily driver for quite a few years but has been laid to rest by the PO. I bought the complete interior off of him (sans bottles, lamp & stove) thanks to a tip from Jawol, if anyone needs it let me know. Trades for other westy items preferred. Email me.

Hi dieselnut,
have you got more pics from this bus? Is it an original SO-44 dormie? I can not see the hanging cabinet on the picture.
Greetings from germany...
Claus

It seems to have that kickass "sink-fridge-stove-closet" combo cabinet for bench buses! :P
I may have seen that bus at last years Cruise for the Cure picnic, if not this one, it was the same model/color. I thought it was a cool bus, not lowered at the time. I thought it looked better then. Might have been a different bus though. A no port code no westy code bus. (I checked the tag) Owner seemed to be a nice guy. I didn't take pics :oops:

Tue May 22, 2007 12:05 pm

I've asked elsewhere in the forums and searched but am still unclear on the general value of a Dorm roof/cloth/cots set. I know of a bay Dorm that I might be able to buy. It's a runner but the camper kit is gutted and it has some rust issues. I didn't open the roof but the stripped material is said to be good, only needing a couple of small patches.
I don't want to pay much more then the value of the roof section for the bus if I buy it.
So do you think a dorm roof is worth $500 or $1500?

Tue May 22, 2007 2:09 pm

karmann1952 wrote: dieselnut wrote: Here's another one:

It's the guy who's been looking for the side seat/table assembly forever in the classifieds - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=216952 - if you look at his other ads you'll see the above picture. Kind of funny, this one has been right under our noses for quite a while now...

There was another so-44 dormobile in SLC, it was evidently a daily driver for quite a few years but has been laid to rest by the PO. I bought the complete interior off of him (sans bottles, lamp & stove) thanks to a tip from Jawol, if anyone needs it let me know. Trades for other westy items preferred. Email me.

Hi dieselnut,
have you got more pics from this bus? Is it an original SO-44 dormie? I can not see the hanging cabinet on the picture.
Greetings from germany...
Claus

Claus,

it is an so-44 per the owner, you can contact him through his ad here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=148408 (or the one i mentioned above).

the hanging cabinet tends to be missing a fair amount of the time, i'm sure people felt it was in the way after hitting their heads on it one too many times... (evidently he still has it, as he's not looking for one per his WTB ad.)

also, you might want to change the title of the thread to more accurately represent the so-44 specific aspect of the thread. it was hard for me to find this thread the other day. this would make it easier for other so-44 owners to find and chime in. :D

57OGRAG,

in my opinion, the parts off the roof are probably worth more than the complete roof, if that makes sense. as to the exact value of a complete dorm roof, i have no clue. several have been posted (and sold evidently) in the classifieds in the past year. i'd be interested in one piece of logo'd glass from one, and both vents if they're not cracked. would also be interested in the white material the cots are "enclosed" in (if its still decent). i'm sure the complete roof is worth more on the west coast than it would be most anywhere else in the u.s., but i've also seen bay dorms (shells) languish in the classifies for ~$1000, so YMMV. moving one is going to be a PITA unless you're going to a swapmeet though, as shipping one is pretty much out of the question for most folks.

hth

Tue May 22, 2007 3:28 pm

57OGRAG wrote: I don't want to pay much more then the value of the roof section for the bus if I buy it.
So do you think a dorm roof is worth $500 or $1500?

Assuming you want the top to install it on a split bus, I'd charge you at least $1500 just to install it correctly and make it functional. The rest, i.e. finish the vinyl trim, installing new rubber on the stationary windows, vent windows, etc., you do yourself. And that is a conservative figure. 8)

That said, the actual condition of the top & vinyl (it isn't canvas!) goes a long way in the "value" of it. Do a search for my pictures as well as my thread "Project D Finalized". The fatchick that my top came from was advertized for $750. After I saw it I offered $400, he came down to $500 and I walked away! [-(

I was going 50-50 with a friend who was interested in the rest of the bus so he talked me into going $300 & $200 so we went back and picked it up. After it was all said and done, I ended up paying just $150 and then sold the upper cots for $250. :P

The job took weeks to complete including the massive cleaning and prepping of an item that sat for 10 years under a pine tree. :o

Good luck on your decision! :wink:

Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:15 pm

Still no new so-44 discovered? I am new here but my westfalia so-44 is already in this thread (posted bij vw spijlbus). I own the so-44 nr 157 from 1965. It is not a dormy, but a pop top.

Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:27 pm

here are some pictures of my bus.

it is an original walkthrough bus (m-code)

I'm missing the hanging closet, i can't see any places where it could have been mounted, is it possible dat is was a option? The fabric is still original (not on the front seats) The only thing i have done on the s0-44 is cleaning to keap it so original as possible. The bus is in driving condition and is only on the road in the spring/summer. I live in Holland, Claus has met me once on budel this year.

Sat Dec 15, 2007 5:26 pm

I read somewhere the hanging closet (not to be confused w/clothes closet) was optional, possibly because of the blind spot in the rear it causes. Maybe Westfalia.com is where I read that. I don't know. Interesting to see that interior installed in a walk through.